One of the most beloved film genres has been science fiction, and even with the MCU juggernaut ensuing in the past couple of decades, the genre has still managed to hold out on its own. The genre has grown leaps and bounds ever since its first portrayal long back in the 1900s, and the innovation in digital technology has ensured its potency for the long run.
RELATED:Most Iconic Fictional Planets In Games
One of the significant elements in a proper science fiction narrative is its ability to make believe the unbelievable or the things unheard or unseen to the general audience. And with such a heavy task comes thenecessity to create an environmentthat brings a new tonality to how humankind perceives reality and fiction.
A directorial venture from critically acclaimed filmmaker James Gray,Ad Astrahad the world talking right from its announcement date. Boasting the likes of Brad Pitt, and Tommy Lee Jones in its roster, the movie premiered first at the Venice Film Festival in its preliminary screening and opened to theaters on August 29th, 2019.
The film follows an Astronaut (Brad Pitt)voyaging across the known solar systemin pursuit of his long-lostAlien life-obsessedfather (Tommy Lee Jones). Although the film spans various parallels and meridians of space, the most loved chunk of the action set pieces happen on the moon. Despite the film’s bombing at the box office, it was praised for itseffective VFXand ability to provide the closest possibility of a real space experience on the screens.
6Iron Sky: The Coming Race
The Iron Skyfranchise was one of the few independent film franchises that enjoyed a massive cult following around the globe. The premise of an alternate universe where the Nazi Power fled to the dark side of the moon takes inspiration from various conspiracy theories that plagued the world’s massive hysteria soon after the events of World War II.
Following the events from the first installment, humankind is forced to take evasion actions amidst a nuclear holocaust on Earth and is forced to make a trip to the Moonbase to ensure the survival of humanity. Little did they know that they would face a familiar threat looming on the moon’s dark side.
5Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness
Cartoons can bend, break, combine and restructure any genre per their requirements, andScooby-Doo!Moon Monster Madnesssneaks the sci-fi genre through with its plot. The 2015 home film has the most popular meddling kids and the annoying mutt winning a lottery ticket to travel to the moon base set up by biz tycoon billionaire Sly Baron.
RELATED:Sci-Fi Movies Turning 30 In 2023 (That You Should Rewatch)
But when the gang’s on an adventure, so comes the mystery. The solitary confinement of theMetropolis-styledmoon base has a mystery of an alien that seeks to destroy it from top to bottom, and it is up to the gang to seek the answer to the question - Are we really alone? And yes, there is a chase song!
4Apollo 18
The 2011 fictional horror movieApollo 18takes a feather from the real-life canceled Apollo 18 mission and spins a fictional horror retelling at its comfort. The film explores theconspiraciessurrounding the cancelation of the 1974 mission and uses horror elements to weave a story in the captured footage format.
RELATED:Pokemon: Conspiracy Theories That Will Give You Chills
The film was a massive disaster at the box office level, and it wouldn’t be surprising if a few didn’t know about its existence. But, on the other hand, this film could be the sweet spot for people with a peculiar taste for space horror and conspiracy storytelling.
3Moonfall
Roland Emmerich, in his prime, was one of the finest filmmakers who almost found the perfect template to combine sci-fi alien invasion in hardcore action movies. But instead, the once legendary visionary turned to various genres before hitting it back in the sci-fi notes with his highly anticipated comeback filmMoonfall.
RELATED:Sci-Fi Movies That Should Have Been Series
The film starts with an unknown phenomenon throwing the moon off its regular orbit and setting it on course to collide with Earth. Then, as the leads dig deeper, a true mystery unravels the journey of our ancestors from millions of years ago, a hidden truth that is hard for the human mind to comprehend.
2Moon
The 2009 sci-fi dramaMoonfrom British filmmaker Duncan Jones revolves around the lead protagonist Sam Bell (played by Sam Rockwell) as he is sent on a solitary tech evaluation to the Helium 3 mines present on the dark side of the moon.
As his contractual stint comes near a close, Sam’s mind begins to deteriorate, and the solitary confinement with only anAI Robotto accompany him makes things worse for his emotional well-being and survival.Moonis Duncan Jones’s maiden venture into mainstream filmmaking, which made a mark with the reviews and raked up good box office numbers.
12001: A Space Odyssey
Undoubtedly one ofStanley Kubrick’smost revered masterpieces and one of the most critical sci-fi movies of all time,2001: A Space Odysseyis a sci-fi film that no fan of the genre should ignore.
The 1968 film had the audience drop their jaws in a period when people around the world weren’t ready for an experience of such magnitude. The film is based on the novel of the same name and is worth every minute of its 139-minute runtime. It’s a movie that is best watched rather than described.
